Sketchbook Play

I am trying to train myself to

play in my sketchbook before

I switch to fabric.

It's easy enough to do.

Here I'm using Daler-Rowney's 

FW Acrylic Ink,

and dabbing it through a stencil.

I really love every thing about this ink!

Here it is on a piece of cotton:

thanks for stopping by

peace!

More with the Gelli

It was blissfully cool here this morning,

so I spent several hours in the garden.

It looks good!

I had made a fern stencil early this morning,

and was eager to try it out.

What better way than with my Gelli Print Plate?

I hadn't noticed that there was a thread

running across my fabric

until I was halfway through...

but I'm glad it was there.

I like it a lot!

(I think all of these photos can be enlarged.)

I was having so much fun,

I decided to go back to my crazy color palette.

I like how this one turned out too.

I've further enhanced the Gingko piece I showed you

the other day:

Here are a couple of detail shots:

I can hardly wait to begin

some hand embroidery on these!

Thanks for stopping by!

peace!

MaggieVille

I finished "MaggieVille" yesterday.

It is a purely whimsical wallhanging

for our new granddaughter Maggie.

I hope she will enjoy the bright colors.

This quilt is based on Rayna Gillman's new book

"Create Your Own Free-Form Quilts",

and I've used the techniques she taught 

in the class I took with her in Atlanta last month.

I had a ball making this piece -

the stripping was really fun,

dyeing the background fabric was also a blast,

and the straight-line quilting allowed me quiet time

to listen to a book and several 

of my favorite podcasts.

Here are a couple of detail shots:

I've always loved hot air balloons

(riding in them is a treat -

if you haven't tried it, do!)

so I thought it would be fun to add this one.

I did a little chain stitch embroidery

with some of my hand-dyed floss, 

as you can see.

Airplanes have been a 

huge factor in our lives,

so MaggieVille couldn't be without one:

If you look closely,

(this image can be enlarged)

you will see that Maggie's big brother Charlie

is the pilot.

His two passengers are

Grace and Julia,

Maggie and Charlie's cousins.

Speaking of Charlie,

we went for a ride out in the country this morning.

Our destination was Full Bloom Nursery -

my all-time favorite!

We saw deer, cows, horses, goats, and sheep

on our ride - 

not to mention tons of barns, pastures, and tractors.

Here's Charlie with our purchases:

We took a ride in the canoe

after our afternoon nap -

it was a bit breezy,

but we needed to go inspect all of the 'sliders'

on the logs.

Thanks for stopping by!

Peace to you!

The Merry Month of May

May is my favorite month!

We have a family tradition

that during one's birthday month,

he or she is treated rather royally.

I do love that!

And not only is my birthday this month,

but also Mothers Day is celebrated 

here in the States.

So it's a double whammy for me!

I chose to eat at the Lawrence

on Saturday night.

It is catty-corner to our little Midtown condo,

so not only do they serve yummy food, 

but it is oh so convenient.

It is small and intimate,

and we've gotten to know the friendly staff,

so it is like dining with family.

I chose their incredible mussels

...not a morsel left behind!

I'm knitting away on my 

Chevron Vest,

(designed by Courtney Kelley)

and I LOVE it.

I had a difficult time getting started,

but once I figured out the pattern,

it's been a breeze.

The yarn is Tundra Taiga

by the Fibre Company,

and it is a delight:

60% Baby Alpaca, 30% Merino Wool AND 10% Silk..

so you know it is soft on the hands.

It's a great little project to take along

in the car, or to knitting group,

 even while watching a baseball game,

or listening to a recorded book.

And it will be fun to wear!

Hope your May is also (ALL SO) Merry!

thanks for stopping by

PEACE to YOU!

In The Garden

"In The Garden"

was my Mom's favorite hymn.

I remember singing it with her,

 as a young girl, 

 as I stood beside her in church

  She would smile brightly.

So I've been doing a bit more

slow work

on this piece of silk.

Our recent walks in the Smokies in North Carolina

inspired me to add a few wildflowers

to my work.

Yesterday was my Mom's birthday,

and today is Mothers' Day here in the States.

The two always go hand-in-hand.

.....Bittersweet.....

Today we will take a tour of the gardens

planted and lovingly tended by our CSA farm friends

David and Anita.

Then we will enjoy dinner

with our family.

It's a beautiful day here:

finally warming up AND the sun is shining!

Happy Day to YOU!

thanks for stopping by

and

PEACE to you!

The Week that Wuzz

Since my kids and Grand Cherubs 

have moved so much closer,

I am thrilled and honored to 

spend so much time with them.

It's the idyllic life 

we all dream of...

but most never attain.

I used to fill my hours with my art,

but now a few days a week are filled

with the world through the eyes of a two-year-old.

IT IS MAGNIFICENT!

I try to let myself relax into that innocent mode

and just see things as they really are.

** I am so grateful for this gift **

Soon my two little Innocents will also grow up...

and will have to deal with real life....

but, for now, I choose to see the world

through their eyes: a two-year-old and a 5 month old.

I grabbed a free hour this afternoon and did

 a bit of monoprinting with one of my Gelli Print Plates.

The above shot is one where I used my new Gingko stencil.

I also cut a few ferns and branches in the garden

(actually this is my first layer of prints)

The positives and the negatives were appealing to me!

I kept feeling like I was getting somewhere,

but not quite there:

Being away from creating for a few days,

I was eager for

a stupendous result!

(you know how that is, right?)

Is it this?

....or this?

probably neither,

but there are really nice elements in both....

and they can be cut up

and joined together.

....and there was the thrill of the moment!

My life is crazy right now....

but I wouldn't change it for the world!

We took Charlie to a baseball game

the other night...

and he LOVED it!!

There IS time for FAMILY...

and there is time for ART....

we just need to find the happy medium.

I thank you for stopping by.

Hope you have a wondrous weekend.

peace!

Fiber ARTlanta

I was really pleased and honored

to be invited to participate in Fiber ARTlanta,

an exhibit sponsored by SEFAA,

the Southeast Fiber Arts Alliance.

A portion of my piece "Letters Home 1970"

is on the left in the postcard collage above.

We attended the opening on Friday evening,

and it was nice to connect with friends, both old and new,

and to view some very exciting pieces.

My SAQA friend Ruth Ann Yax had two pieces on exhibit.

This is her piece "Circles"

based on a class she took with Robbi Joy Eklow:

and this is "Celebration",

and original design:

My photos do not do justice to either of these

beautiful pieces.

I loved studying the pieces by Linda DeMars:

again, my photo does not do justice to her incredible work.

Linda employs hooking, crochet and needle felting

in these two pieces.

A detail shot of the piece in the foreground,

so you may appreciate Linda's fine work:

and here is the background piece:

These are two pieces in Linda's series,

"What My Feet See",

which is about the intersection of the natural 

and man-made world.

very, very interesting!

I was delighted to see the work of Lucinda Carlstrom,

and look forward to learning more about her,

and possibly spending a bit of time with her.

You have seen these pieces before,

but here they are on display:

"Letters Home 1970"

"Letters Home 1917"

"Pickled Beets and Cherry Pits"

I loved the lighting on "Letters Home 1970" -

it really showed off the iridescent threads I had

used for quilting!

thanks for popping in!

peace to you!